The creator of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi, has teased that the studio he founded after leaving Square Enix could release its latest JRPG beyond Apple Arcade, close to two years after its initial release. That’s an ideal scenario for my local Apple Store, as I could cease darkening its door to play the elusive mobile game.
As spotted (opens in new tab) by freelance anime editor Kaylyn Saucedo, Sakaguchi has recently attended the Monaco Anime Game International Conference to chat about his career with IGN Japan (opens in new tab). As part of that chat, Sakaguchi says that he’s heard fan desires to see Fantasian release on PC – and get a sequel – and would like to work to meet those expectations.
It’s heartening stuff. If you’ve been out of the loop, Mistwalker Studios released Fantasian across two parts back in 2021, exclusively for Apple Arcade . While the JRPG’s wholesome dioramas immediately caught my eye, what brought those model towns together has caused my curiosity to linger since.
Sakaguchi was inspired (opens in new tab) to return to his roots with Fantasian after replaying Final Fantasy 6 with some of the original development team. Not only are you getting plenty of the turn-based battles you’ll recognise from older Final Fantasy games, but something that feels like an “extension” of its sixth instalment regarding “some of the story elements and how things flow”.
An extension of Final Fantasy 6 played out on cute miniature sets is a compelling pitch, though not one accessible to everyone. Even if you own an iPhone or iPad powerful enough, you’ll need an Apple Arcade Subscription. Barriers thrown up by exclusivity agreements are nothing new in the industry, though it’s hard not to be excited about one coming tumbling down, especially when it means getting your hands on something that sees a beloved developer return to their roots.
More? Here are the best JRPGs to play if you don’t fancy the wait.